Helfgot's football blog | From 2-4 to the playoffs?

October 11, 2013|Mike Helfgot

Joliet West is nursing a four-game losing streak and has an overall record of 9-24 since Joliet’s combined program split into West and Central in 2010. The Tigers are 2-4 this season and one loss away from extending their playoff absence to 20 years. A 5-4 record may not guarantee West a spot in the Class 8A field, but it says here that’s what its regular-season record will be. We’re going outside the box with this week’s picks to identify 2-4 teams with realistic chances of running the table. Joliet West fits the bill. West has to feel good about itself after giving No. 13 Lincoln-Way East a scare before bowing 35-28 last week. Lincoln-Way East, the three-time defending Southwest Suburban Blue champion and 2012 Class 7A runner-up, beat Joliet West 42-6, 42-7 and 42-0 the last three years. Last week, Rob Zvonar said his Griffins were outplayed by a West team that was different from the outset this season. With an effective quarterback-receiver tandem in Anthony DiNardo and Niko Messino, the Tigers scored 50 on Thornridge and 35 against King in opening 2-0. They also scored 26 in an eight-point loss to Sandburg, and not even No. 8 Homewood-Flossmoor managed four touchdowns against Lincoln-Way East. West’s other losses were to H-F (48-14) and Bolingbrook (30-6), Class 8A powers who will win early round playoff games by similar or even more lopsided scores. The Tigers' final three opponents have won four games combined this season -- three by Friday’s opponent, Stagg. Lincoln-Way East beat Stagg 41-0. After Stagg, West finishes against Joliet Central (0-6) and Lockport (1-5). The Tigers' nine opponents have combined for a mediocre 29 wins, which means they may not be in great shape if the final spots in the 32-team Class 8A field are determined by tie-breaker. But they will win their final three games. On to Prairie Ridge: Prairie Ridge is 5-10 since defeating Peoria Richwoods in the 2011 Class 6A championship game and 2-4 this season. Each of the next two teams on the Wolves’ schedule is 5-1, but I’m not convinced Dundee-Crown and Grayslake North are going to beat a desperate Prairie Ridge team familiar with success. Following their 6-0 loss to Cary-Grove, the Wolves laid an egg last week in a 34-7 loss to Huntley. Dundee-Crown beat Huntley 17-14 but lost to Cary-Grove 34-0. Prairie Ridge hosts Dundee-Crown on Friday night in a huge game for both teams. I expect Prairie Ridge to summon pride from its program’s past and slip past the Chargers to ignite a three-game winning streak. With its opponents’ 31 wins, the Wolves would be in good tie-break shape in Class 6A. On to Antioch: Antioch made three playoff appearances in four seasons, including a spot in the 2008 Class 6A semifinals, before falling to 3-6 last year. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on Sequoits football, but it seems to me their 2-4 record is misleading. Last week’s 49-7 loss to No. 4 Lake Zurich is no indictment whatsoever. They lost to 6-0 Glenbard South by one point. Their other losses are to a Wisconsin team and Lakes, a contender to advance deep into the Class 6A playoffs. Antioch hosts Wauconda (4-2) this week before traveling to Grant (1-5) and facing Vernon Hills (2-4) at home in Week 9. In my wholly unscientific guesstimation, the Sequoits are the favorite in all three games. With 31 opponents’ wins, they’d be a good bet to in the Class 5A field.